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Imperial Culture
Imperial Culture or Modern Macandrio-Galdienese Culture is the most prominent and widespread culture in the Empire. It is also influenced by the cultures that the Empire has taken over and to a lesser extent those that neighbor it. Rule Macandria is officially ruled over by The Senate and its emperor, but the Noble Houses hold considerable defacto power. It is also officially a limited monarchy, but through adult adoption the emperor often handpicks his successor, and because the emperor has direct command of soldiers, spies, and assassins he often controls the senate through intimidation, blackmail, and murder. This would make him a defacto autocrat if it weren't for the fact that the vast majority of the economy were not controlled by the Noble Houses which have representatives in The Senate. Law The Senate makes the law, and the emperor enforces it. He does so through the Imperial Guard, city watchmen, and through the Office of Justice which investigate crimes, issue warrants, and handle trials. Trials themselves are overseen by a tribunal of three magistrates within the Office of Justice. Until ME223, there were no appeals, but after corruption among certain magistrates that sent dozens of innocent men to their deaths was uncovered, The Senate legalized a single appeal for a convicted person, which would grant them a new trial before a new tribunal. Private legal consultants are widespread, but they cost money and only the at least somewhat wealthy can afford them. Economy Small shops, inns, workshops, garden-farms (farms under about an acre), and residences are all the property of private families and individual citizens. Larger economic operations such as agriculture, husbandry, mining, fishing, theatre, league sports, banks, marketplaces, and timber to name a few are under the control of various monopolistic and oligopolistic companies run by one or more of the Noble Houses. These same Houses also have enormous infuence within The Senate and outlaw any large commercial and industrial operations not affiliated with them. That said, many of these operations do exist outside of the law--these are the smuggling syndicates. Currency See The Currency of Macandria Gender Macandrian women are amongst the most free in the patriarchal world. They are forbidden from joining the military in any combat role and from official political office above the provincial level, but they otherwise enjoy many of the freedoms men do. However, these freedoms are fairly recent. Society, especially the more traditional and conservative within it, shun females in positions of power. Many women themselves believe that it is their religious or moral duty to stop pursuing a career once they marry. Conversely, men who attempt to take on traditionally female roles (e.g. domestic work, dancing, weaving, sewing) are shunned as effeminate and are likely to have trouble finding wives. Family The majority of Macandrian live near (usually in the same neighborhood) as their extended family. The oldest male in the family is its leader with his wife being a second-in-command of sorts. However, this is by no means an autocratic system--the family patriarch can be overruled if the overwhelming majority of the rest of the family disagrees. While individuals have the legal right to defy the wishes of their family, doing so one too many times often means losing the support and acceptance that comes with them. It is becoming increasingly common to see young individuals and couples break apart from their families to start independent lives, although, overall, this is still rare. Marriage Arranged marriages are mostly a relic of centuries past. Individuals choose their spouses in modern times. However, a spouse must be approved by both of the extended families--that means that the bride's family must approve of the groom, and the groom's family must approve of the bride. The exception is when one family is significantly wealthier than the other. In that case, the wealthy family is the only one that makes any approval. Young couples can of course defy this custom and marry without the blessing of their families, but this nearly always means shame and shunning. Also, the Orthodox Temple will not marry a couple without the blessings of their families. Once approval is granted, legal marriage is a swift stamp on a certificate by an Office of Justice magistrate. After that comes the religious marriage. Feasts are prepared, a garden is chosen, entertainers are hried, and guests are invited. The bride dawns jewelery, elegant clothing, make-up, and perfumes unlike anything she's ever worn before (if she's not rich) or ever will again (unless she remarries). The groom also wears lavish clothing and perfume. Before a cleric, they exchange vows and rings, kiss, and then enjoy the party that ensues. When the festivities come to a close, the new couple is given some privacy for the night. Finally, the next day, the groom's family accepts the bride into it, and the couple can now call themselves husband and wife. Wedlock is also a considered a ceremony between a man and a woman because within Macandrian society the main goal of marriage is to produce offspring for the family. Sex Because of the avaliability of effective herbal birth control and the invention of the condom, relatively safe sex is common in the Empire. Before marriage, youth are expected to be promiscuous by their peers. Homosexuality is also somewhat common and is not frowned upon. This frivolousness is supposed to end at marraige, which is expected to be a monogamous commitment, but it is not uncommon for men and women to engage in affairs. When discovered, however, these are not taken lightly. Adultery is seen as a betrayal and, if the couple is legally married, is punishable by a fine or time in prison. Clothing Men Among men of all socio-economic classes the tunic is worn. Usually it is knee-length, sleeveless, and loose-fitting, secured with a belt of leather of rope around the waist. Short-sleeve tunics are common too. In northern cities, long-sleeve tunics are not uncommon, but these tend to be more form-fitting and are worn under more typical tunics. The material from which these are made, however, differs depending on class. The poor tend to wear tunics made of coarse wool, while the more wealthy prefer those made of fine wool or linen. Some aristocrats even wear tunics made of silk and cotton imported from Yuan. It is also common, especially in colder climates, to wear a loose cloak of some sort above the tunic. The middle class (but only formally) and the wealthy also wore togas made of fine wool. In western Galdiens (near Pono), men wear a skirt and go shirtless quite often. Underneath tunics and skirts, men of all classes typically wear underwear--a loincloth or shorts. Concerning footwear, sandals are the most common, but in Galdiens and among the poor going barefoot is also not unusual. In colder climates, military-immitation boots are popular. Women The men's tunic is often found on women too. However many in recent times have chosen to purposefully wear undersized tunics so that they may appear more form-fitting. Another popular option is the more traditional women's tunic--a sort of dress which extends down to the ankle and is secured by brooches at the shoulders. The material depended on the woman's wealth--the poor use coarse wool (usually the coarse wool for women's tunics is more fine that the coarse wool for men's) and the rest use fine wool or linen. The rich often use imported cloths for their dresses like silk or cotton. Underneath, women wear a loincloth or shorts to cover their bottoms. Their tops are covered by, if anything, breastcloths or the more expensive soft leather bras. Footwear is nearly identical to that of men--the main difference being the size and shapes of the shoes. Thuric Influence The influence of Thuric merchant and noble caste clothing has been large in northern Province Macander since shortly after the conquest of Thur. Architecture Macandrian architecture relied heavily on bricks and concrete for most buildings. The more prestigious buildings used these a lot as well, but covered them in plaster, tile, and marble. <<>> Politeness Politeness is an important part of Imperial Culture, but outside of traditional aristocratic circles it is not ruled by strict formalities. Punctuality is not important, nor are titles and surnames are never used outside of legal contexts or when absolutely necessary to indentify a specific individual or family. It is considered polite to be direct with people and it is not considered rude to say "no" if done at least faux-apologetically. Cuisine <<>> Education Education is widespread. Only the poorest lack literacy because elementary education, while not public, is very affordable. Children go to school usually beginning at six or seven and graduate at twelve or thirteen, having learned a degree of reading, writing, history, and arithematic. From there they usually become an apprentice or intern of some sort. Many unskilled laborers are actually not freedmen, but rather youth who graduated elementary school and ran into misfortune. Higher education is monopolized by the state in the form of The Imperial University. For the most part only the rich and a select few who are granted scholarships (e.g. mages, noticed writers and artists) are enrolled due to its high tuition. Religion <<>> Hygiene <<>> Entertainment <<>> Category:Browse Category:Lore